The dawn sunlight spilled across the floor, resembling a flowing lake of gold.
The birds outside chirped incessantly, seemingly trying their best to wake those lingering in bed.
In the courtyard beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, butterflies fluttered and chased one another. A magnificent symphony echoed from the kitchen; everything seemed perfectly harmonious.
The eggs and ham in the pan were slightly charred, yet no one bothered to remove them. Now cold, they sat lonely at the edge of the pan, ignored by everyone.
Yuu Hoshimiya's large hand gently stroked Curacao's silver hair, which was silky, voluminous, and felt incredible to the touch.
As he pulled away her hair tie, her silver locks billowed out like a scene from a shampoo commercial, shimmering with golden light under the morning sun—a truly breathtaking sight.
Even without a trace of makeup, Curacao remained stunningly glamorous and eye-catching, radiating a powerful sense of aggression.
Especially when her blue eyes slanted slightly, the faint, lingering cold arrogance between her brows was enough to drive men to madness.
However, that cold pride vanished completely when she faced Yuu Hoshimiya.
Yuu captured her pink lips and scooped her up into his arms. Accompanied by the sounds of the kitchen symphony, his steps were as graceful as a spinning waltz.
Soon, the two of them were seated on the living room sofa.
Leaning her head against Yuu's shoulder, Curacao couldn't help but whisper, "I thought a guy like you only liked that type."
"Nonsense. I'm a very easygoing person; I can accept anything. Besides, wasn't I acting for your sake before?"
Hearing this, Curacao felt like rolling her eyes.
For my sake? How on earth was that for my sake?
Feeling a bit resentful, Curacao couldn't help but sink her pearly white teeth into Yuu's shoulder, though her heart softened, and she quickly let go.
Not long ago, after Yuu had contracted the little maid Sakurako at the Suzuki Manor, Curacao—who had stayed there to study magic under Akako—had felt quite indignant.
Clearly, she was there first.
Whether it was the intimate physical matters or the magical training, it should have been her first!
The cold Nordic beauty didn't hide her emotions from Yuu at all, and he naturally sensed them quickly.
Thus, last night, the two of them, driven by mutual desire, naturally completed their union in a night of raw, unbridled sex.
Knowing everything about Yuu's situation, Curacao had no more worries, and they successfully established their contract.
Although the primary goal was achieved, the Nordic girl still felt a bit jealous, leading to the conversation above.
Facing Curacao's interrogation, Yuu told a blatant lie without changing his expression.
At first, he truly had considered that Curacao needed time to adapt, but after dealing with Naeko and then Sakurako, he had honestly forgotten about the flaming-red lips of this Nordic beauty.
Of course, he could never say that out loud.
Saying something like that wouldn't just make him a "dense protagonist"—it would make him a total idiot.
Yuu coaxed the former Organization ace assassin for a while longer before the matter was finally put to rest.
"I'm so hungry! Right, the breakfast I made... Yuu-kun, it's all your fault!"
As she spoke, Curacao ran toward the kitchen with bare feet, her steps light and her mood clearly excellent.
Seeing that the food was cold, she threw on an apron and began reheating the meal.
Though the manor had maids who could handle everything, the reborn Curacao preferred to do things herself, wanting to experience life—the feeling of being alive.
It had to be said that at this moment, the Nordic beauty was more enticing than the meal itself!
Yuu followed her in and waited a moment at the dining table until Curacao brought the breakfast over.
It was already ten in the morning by the time they started eating.
Curacao placed the reheated egg and ham sandwiches on the table. Noticing the "stains" left on the table from their earlier activity, her face flushed, and she immediately pulled out tissues to scrub them away frantically.
Yuu enjoyed his slightly burnt breakfast while watching the scene with great interest.
It was a scene full of raw sexuality, yet touched with a hint of domestic warmth.
The following hours were spent with Curacao serving him: pouring tea, preparing fruit platters, and setting out his clothes and shoes. She even helped tidy his hem at the entryway.
Her movements were clumsy; it was clearly her first time serving anyone, but her expression was one of pure enjoyment.
Seeing the once-haughty Organization ace trying her best to be a virtuous, doting wife in front of him provided a massive sense of achievement.
Yuu pulled Curacao close and kissed her deeply on the lips.
After an intense make-out session, he bid her farewell and turned to head out.
After seeing Yuu off, Curacao could no longer suppress her exhaustion; she yawned and headed to her room to catch up on some sleep.
Meanwhile, in the living room of the Tatsuo household in Nagano County, Heiji, Conan, and the rest of the group were visiting.
Ran was frantically typing, editing a message to pressure Yuu Hoshimiya to hurry up.
She had thought Brother Yuu would arrive before them, but after being in Nagano for so long without a sign of him, her mood was sour.
If Yuu hadn't said he was coming during dinner last night, Ran would never have bothered to travel to such a remote countryside location.
Yuu's willingness to travel from Tokyo to this rural backwater wasn't for the sake of those two brats, Conan and Heiji.
It was for the former "Police Flower" who had yet to make her appearance: Yui Uehara.
Noah had been keeping a close eye on Conan and Heiji, especially Conan.
Noticing the brat had triggered another "Fate Event," Yuu did a bit of investigating and quickly understood the case.
Naturally, he decided to get involved.
There were only two "Police Flowers" left in his memory that he hadn't plucked, and this event in Nagano was the perfect opportunity to claim one of them.
Heiji Hattori looked at the photo provided by the head of the Tatsuo family and spoke up: "Your son, Koji Tatsuo, was tied up and buried in a pile of rocks. Then, the killer used a blunt instrument to bash his head repeatedly until he died."
"The killer even placed a dead centipede on the blood before it could clot. This method is incredibly brutal!"
"What did the police say?"
The glasses-wearing head of the Tatsuo family looked indignant.
"They only say 'under investigation, under investigation.' That's why I asked Officer Otaki to find someone to investigate this case. Heiji, you must help me!"
Heiji replied, "But according to Officer Otaki, the police already have some leads."
Just then, the living room door was pushed open, and a short, white-haired old woman walked in.
"It was definitely those Takeda family people! Their Yoshiro Takeda died first, so they assumed our Tatsuo family did it. They must have sent someone to kill Koji for revenge!"
The head of the Tatsuo family immediately spoke up, "Mother, we can't jump to conclusions without evidence."
The old woman snapped angrily, "This kind of hate-filled vengeance... no one but those Takedas could do it!"
The head of the family could only sigh at his mother's attitude.
Conan couldn't resist asking, "Who was the one who found the body?"
"It was my other son, Akira. He found it on his way home from Yabusame (horseback archery) practice. That son of mine actually serves as the archer for the village festival!"
"And where is this Mr. Akira now?"
"He should be in the woods practicing. The village's annual festival is starting soon."
Meanwhile, in the Takeda family stables, the void suddenly distorted.
Having used teleportation, Yuu Hoshimiya felt his world spin. He was thrown out of the distortion and immediately slammed into a warm, soft body.
Before he could regain his senses, he heard a sharp scream. In the next instant, his vision flipped, and he was slammed heavily onto the ground.
An over-the-shoulder throw?
His arm was immediately locked. Looking up, he saw a woman dressed like a young matron.
Yuu instinctively wanted to counter-attack, but he realized the situation and stopped himself just in time.
"Who are you?!"
The woman in the matronly attire barked the question. Her hands were pinning Yuu's right arm behind him, her body pressed against his back to control him on the ground.
It was a standard police grappling technique, but all Yuu could feel was the incredible softness and bounce against his back.
Of course, with his constitution, he wasn't injured. Yuu explained, "Don't misunderstand. I'm from Tokyo... well, consider this a personal favor. I just didn't have my footing when I bumped into you."
Saying this, while ignoring Yui Uehara's shocked gaze, Yuu simply stood up with her still on his back.
With a slight surge of power, the woman on his back was tossed off. He reached out with a large hand and pulled her back toward him.
She was a beauty with a great deal of charm, wearing a beige top and an orange long skirt.
Her long hair was parted down the middle, revealing an exquisite face. Her pale blue eyes seemed to hide a lingering, unshakable sorrow.
His mana flowed, sensing the surroundings. Yuu immediately knew where he was.
This was the Takeda household—the family with a generational blood feud against the Tatsuo family!!!
And this woman was the widow of the Takeda family, Yui Takeda, whose real name was Yui Uehara.
She was also his primary target for this trip to Nagano.
Yui Uehara had originally been a police officer in Nagano. Six years ago, she had seemingly married Yoshiro Takeda solely to investigate the truth behind the death of a senior officer she deeply respected.
But Yoshiro Takeda had recently met a tragic end, leaving her a widow.
However, Yuu noticed with a single glance that this woman, despite having been a wife for six years, was still a pure virgin who had never been touched by a man.
This is beyond bizarre! Was her husband impotent?
While shocked, Yuu's motivation only intensified.
While the taste of a "matron" was good, it would be even better if he was the one to personally turn Yui Uehara into a woman!
Perhaps Yuu's gaze was too hot and entirely unconcealed.
A look of irritation appeared in Yui Uehara's eyes, and she barked another rebuke.
"You rogue! I am not some helpless widow you can just bully!"
As she spoke, her long skirt fluttered as her snow-white leg swept toward Yuu's head in a kick.
But her speed was too slow. Yuu casually caught her ankle in his hand and hoisted it straight up.
Hiss!!!
Yui Uehara's eyes rolled back as her other foot began to hop uncontrollably.
It hurts!!!
It seemed her flexibility wasn't that great—he hadn't even pulled her into a full split yet, and she was already struggling?
"You really have the wrong idea. Don't you recognize me? I am Yuu Hoshimiya. Although I came here in a personal capacity, I am the consultant for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. I'm here specifically for the case."
Japanese police jurisdiction is regional; the Tokyo MPD can only govern Tokyo unless a local department requests help. Otherwise, Tokyo police cannot intervene.
This was why Conan and his group were often surprised to see Juzo Megure show up, only to realize the location was technically part of Tokyo.
At that moment, the wooden door of the stable was pushed open. A man in a suit appeared—he was scruffy, leaning on a cane with one hand, and could only see out of one eye.
His lone eye caught the scene in the stable: Yui Uehara with her back to him and one leg hoisted high in the air. His face changed instantly, and he roared at the top of his lungs.
"Let go of Yui!"
This man was, naturally, the Nagano detective Kansuke Yamato.
He was also Yui Uehara's childhood sweetheart; seeing this naturally triggered a violent reaction.
His superior was the second target Yuu wanted to meet: Hyoye Kuroda.
Roaring, Kansuke Yamato erupted with speed beyond a normal person. He moved like the wind on one leg, thrusting his cane toward Yuu.
Toward men, Yuu was not nearly as polite as he was with Yui.
With his hand still holding Yui's right leg, he performed a slight side-step. Yui let out another sharp hiss of pain.
She was effectively being forced into a sudden, involuntary ligament stretch.
Then, Yuu delivered a powerful side-kick. Kansuke Yamato flew back just as fast as he had charged in.
Kansuke hit the ground, his body covered in dirt. He coughed several times, his lone eye glaring at Yuu like a feral wolf.
As a police officer, he was naturally armed.
He hurriedly drew his handgun and pointed it at Yuu from a distance. "Release her now, or I'll make you regret it!"
Seeing Kansuke get impulsive enough to draw his gun, Yui grew anxious. "Kansuke! You've got it wrong! Put the gun away!"
"This man isn't a villain; he's here from Tokyo to investigate the case. Don't be reckless!"
Yui had recognized him the moment Yuu said his name.
But before she could clarify, Kansuke had barged in and caused this mess.
Kansuke's lone eye was full of disbelief. Even if he's a handsome guy from Tokyo, he shouldn't be doing this to you! With that posture... what the hell are you two doing?!
Hearing his childhood sweetheart speak in Yuu's defense made Kansuke feel as if his heart were being squeezed.
Yuu let out a light cough and quickly released the smooth, porcelain ankle in his left hand.
Losing her balance, Yui Uehara had to press her hand against Yuu's shoulder to steady herself.
She hurriedly reached down to smooth her long skirt, her face turning an uncharacteristic shade of pink.
Watching this, Kansuke felt even more suffocated.
"Ahem. I'm here to investigate the case in a private capacity, so don't bother with the consultant title. It was a misunderstanding; I hope you both can overlook it."
Kansuke had recognized him too. He silently holstered his gun and struggled to stand up.
Yui tried to go and help him, but he flatly refused; he seemed to have a lot of pride.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yui instinctively ignored the fact that the stable door had been closed, that Yuu had appeared out of nowhere, and that he had been holding her.
The "stumbled and fell" excuse was too lame to believe, but she chose not to press it.
She shifted the conversation instead.
"Consultant... Yuu-kun. Are you here to investigate my late husband's death? But Yoshiro's death was an accident."
"He was swept into the sky by a tornado and then fell into a ravine. No one can control a tornado!"
No one can control it?
Sorry, but I can.
Yuu chuckled inwardly and explained, "I'm certain Yoshiro Takeda's death was an accident. However, I'm here to investigate the death of the Tatsuo family's eldest son, Koji Tatsuo."
"And the accidental death of the Nagano patrol officer, Kai Nagato, from six years ago."
At these words, the eyes of both Yui Uehara and Kansuke Yamato lit up, their expressions instantly turning eager.
Kai Nagato was the senior officer they both deeply respected!
It was because he wanted to find the truth behind Nagato's death that Kansuke had pursued a criminal Nagato had offended into the snowy mountains, only to be caught in an avalanche that cost him an eye and a leg.
And Yui Uehara had resigned from the force and married the man she didn't love, Yoshiro Takeda, specifically because she found clues linking him to the case.
The two of them had sacrificed so much for the truth of Kai Nagato's death, yet their secret investigations had yielded no progress.
Now, with the nationally famous Yuu Hoshimiya saying he was here for Kai Nagato's death, how could they not be overjoyed? It felt as if a beacon of light had appeared in the dark fog.
Noticing the shift in their attitudes, a smirk curled on Yuu's lips.